Feelings Are So Not Fashionable
by pensandpixiedust
Summary: Set after first season. Both Jane and Billy are coming to realize the strength of their emotions for each other, though are struggling to admit them. Will life-changing events take place, or is a push in the right direction all thats needed? In the end, when all is said and done, will Jane and Billy's friendship be left in tatters... or be sown back together stronger than ever?
1. The Exception

"Billy, I swear, if you leave right now to go to her, don't bother coming back." Zoey said, barely keeping her composure. Billy, standing with his back to the door, his hand on the doorknob, looked at her, the muscle in his jaw jumping, nodded.

"No problem." The door slammed shut with a bang, and Zoey closed her eyes. Billy exhaled, straightened his shoulders, and left Zoey's house, not being able to feel remorse or even guilt for having another relationship end because of the same person: Jane. Jane was more important, Jane would always be more important, and it never mattered what other people thought. He had yet to find a decent girl, aside from Jane, that understood his relationship with his best friend. _Maybe I'm done with the whole girlfriend thing, _he thought as he got into his car, _I've never been upset or even neglected with just Jane in my life, and there's much, much less drama that way… yeah. _He was satisfied with his plan until a thought he hadn't had for a while came into his head. _I won't have a girlfriend unless that girl is Jane. _

As soon as he thought her name, his mind was assaulted by everything about her: her smile, her laugh, her sad, her happy, her tired, her pouty, her puppy dog face. Then… less innocent thoughts came into his head and he had to force them from his head in order to avoid a car accident. Not knowing he was doing it, he drove to Donovan Decker, knowing that at the moment he'd be stopping in front would be the moment Jane would be walking out. His theory was proven. His smile came to his face easily upon seeing her surprise and evident pleasure at seeing him.

"Hey." He said, as she got in the car. She struggled for a moment to close the door, but when he took her bag from her hand she managed to. She turned to him, smiled a grateful, embarrassed smile, and sighed.

"Thanks. I can't even begin to tell what a chaotic mess today has been."

"How did Gray take the news?"

"Of me being a teenager? Surprisingly well. For the time being, I still have my usual job. I don't know how long that will last though."

"She'd be crazy to turn her back on someone as talented as you, Janey." She tilted her head to the side with a raised eyebrow and a half smile.

"She can find someone much more talent, and much more qualified with a snap of her fingers. Trust me, Billy, I have no idea how I've even survived this long." Billy shook his head, a smile on his lips despite how awful the day with Zoey had gone. It was the Jane effect. You couldn't be around for 5 seconds before wanting to smile. _She really doesn't get how great she is. _

Jane looked at Billy, surprised at how calm and quiet he'd been, how happy. She remembered that Zoey had meant to talk to him today, that something was bugging her again. She cocked her head to the side, oblivious to the immense strain it put on Billy to keep his eyes on the road and not on the way her lips pursed or her eyes grew wider, and especially not on the curtain her hair turned into.

"How did today go for you?" Billy took a breath, and Jane noticed his stomach quiver when he exhaled. She swallowed, blinking to try to remove the thoughts she shouldn't be having.

"If I said it went well, I'd be lying. But… I'd also be lying if I said I was heart-broken."

"That bad, huh?" Jane asked, her mouth pulled to the side and her nose slightly scrunched, showing her sympathy clearly.

"Maybe for Zoey." Jane's eyebrows looked as if they were trying to join forces.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't get what's up with these girls and their thinking that they're more important than a person I've known for as long as I can remember." Jane groaned and put her face in her hands.

"Again? Really? Billy…"

"What, Janey? I just don't understand…"

"Don't understand what?"

"I just understand what they want me to say to them." By this time, they were parked outside Jane's house and Billy turned his body so he was facing her. "What do they expect from me when they give me the choice between them and you? They know themselves what the answer's going to be, you know? Why do they ask? What's with women, you know? They're all messed up, and PMSing all days of the week." At that, Jane cocked and eyebrow, inclining her head to the side and giving him an _oh-you-did-so-not-just-there _look. "Except for you, of course. You're the exception." Jane stuck her tongue out at him.

"I better be!"


	2. The Sleepover

**Okay, just to clear things up: These chapters are going to be fully centered on Billy and Jane. The usual episodes have a lot of chaos with Jane and Donovan Decker but this fanfic ****will not. ****What this whole thing will be about is getting Jane and Billy together. Thanks for all the follows and favorites, I appreciate it!**

Jane was having a hard time picking out an outfit. She didn't want to seem like she was trying to look too nice for Billy's sake, which is ridiculous-Billy didn't even know she had feelings for him. She then remembered that Billy was waiting with Ben in the kitchen, and she sighed. _Oh, whatever. _She pulled out a silky beige blouse with caramel colored, round buttons up the front and put it on, then took a red high-waisted, bubble skirt and tucked the blouse into it. She pulled out high heels with a red heel, a beige strap across the foot, then grabbed a red bag. Fixing her hair and admiring herself in the mirror, she smiled then stepped out of her closet. She picked up her homework, placing it carefully in her bag, then grabbed her phone off her dresser. She noticed Billy's phone on her bed and sighed, a smile on her face, and walked out of her room. Billy looked up.

"Hey Janey, I think I forgot-" Jane shook her head then handed Billy's phone to him before he could say anything else. He smiled at her,

"Thanks Janey." She started. He called her Janey twice, one after the other. She quickly composed herself. _You're ridiculous, he always calls you Janey. You're just reading too much into this stuff because you're in love with him. _

"Ready to go?" She asked, her voice slightly uneven, trying to ignore the raised eyebrow that Ben directed at her and failing.

"You guys go, I'm catching a ride with Rita." Jane smiled a coy smile at him, and Billy found himself immensely jealous of Eli for a moment, then realized that he had never asked Jane what had happened with him. Actually, she'd stopped mentioning Eli. _I'll ask her about it tonight. _They were getting take out and watching some crappy chick flicks. Jane hugged Ben, told him not to stay out too late tonight with Rita, then took Billy by the arm. Once the both of them had settled into "The Beast", Billy's phone started to buzz. Jane watched Billy check the name then pressed the button to ignore the call. He placed his phone back in his pocket then started to car. Jane didn't ask who it was, just moved her bag into her lap and hummed for a second. She noticed Billy's amused smile and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed, and Jane savored the sound of it.

Billy was glad that Jane hadn't asked any questions about who had called him. He didn't want to have to deal with Zoey just yet. He remembered how he'd thought that when she said she wouldn't make him choose between her and Jane he'd believed it. At first, she hadn't, but in the end, that's always what it came down to. That one ultimatum. His choice was always the same one. That's when he noticed Jane humming, and the sound was so random but so welcome, that he turned to and Jane smiled. He laughed fully when she stuck out her tongue and she smiled. He was perfectly happy like this.

…

Lunch:

Nick was sitting with his book in his lap on the grass outside, looking at Billy and Jane. They were sitting very closely, glancing down at Jane's phone, laughing at the things that came up on the screen. He didn't know that they'd been looking at movies to watch tonight, before just deciding to watch an episode of Spongebob while they were at it. He saw them burst out laughing at one point, leaning against each other, with Jane's head fitting into Billy's neck and his cheek turned into her hair, neither of them laughing anymore. They pulled away and looked back at the screen, both laughing again within seconds as if nothing had happened. He shook his head. _How can they be so oblivious? How can neither of them see that they love each other? _He shook his head then got back to his book, wondering when he had started asking himself such hard and unexplainable questions.

…

8pm

"Jane, I got the Chinese food!" Billy called when he first opened the door.

"I'm coming!" He noticed that steam had been coming from her bathroom, and he looked away, instead dropping the food onto the counter and pulling out containers. When Jane came out, she put in a movie and they both sat down on the couch, eating their food with chop sticks. Billy then remembered the question he'd wanted to ask Jane earlier.

"Hey Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"How is everything with you and Eli?" Jane took in a sudden breath then looked down at her noodles.

"It didn't work out." Billy nodded.

"Sorry for asking, it's just-"

"No, that's okay. He… slept with someone else. Because apparently he only knew one side of me." Billy made a face.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"It wasn't a big deal. It's really not a big deal now, either, but since you asked."

"Well, he's a jerk, Jane. And he really doesn't deserve you." Jane looked up at him and gave him a small smile. He lifted his arm and she settled into the nook it made. "Let's forget about it and just watch the movie." And because he told her to, she did. 


	3. The Last Walk

Billy couldn't see anything. His eyes felt like they were as heavy as boulders, weighing down his face, dragging down his shoulders, making him collapse into himself. His head was covered by a bag, thick and smelling of wood, along with some others he didn't want to think about. He heard the laughter of the people who had done this to him, who had plans for him that he also didn't want to think about. He couldn't help worrying about Jane, the only girl he ever loved. _How would she get to school without him? Oh, she could keep the beast and she has Ben, just in case the car breaks down. What if my brother comes to mess with her? No, he wouldn't do that… Who would watch her movies with her, or bring over the Chinese food just the way she liked it? Who would help her with pesky zippers, or talk to her about her hectic day at work? Who would walk her to and from her classes? Who would she sit with at lunch? Who would love her the way that he did, unconditionally and selflessly, even though he thought she could never love him? _

All these thoughts ran with the noisy jangle and frightening clink of skeletons through his mind. He thought that this would be the last moment he'd have, worrying about Jane, listening to his capturers laughs, that this would be his last walk. Suddenly, their laughing was stopped abruptly. A voice, angry, murderous, frightened, and filled with an emotion he'd never thought he'd hear again.

"What do you guys think you're doing?" _Jane. _They laughed again, horrible sounds.

"What, are you hear to save _him?" _Billy felt a jab in his back and tried his best to remain upright.

"Don't you touch him."

"What are you going to do about it if I do?" Billy heard the click of Jane's shoes and smiled, thinking of how _Jane _the sound was.

"Don't make me show you."

"Ooh, okay. If you don't want me to touch him, how about I-" Billy cut him off.

"Don't touch her. Just do whatever you want to me, don't touch her."

"Listen-" The rough voice was silenced quickly, as was everyone else's quiet whispering, instead replaced with rough smacks. He felt the rough hands that had been holding his arms behind his back-stupid, since his hands were tied-loosen, before they disappeared completely. One last _thud, _and then familiar warm, hands were on him. He felt quick hands untying his hands, then his hands were free and he flexed them. The hands fell away, going to remove the bag.

"Jane, wait… you might not want to see-"

"Billy, don't be ridiculous. You can't keep walking around with this bag on your head." She removed the bag and dropped it on the pavement in the alley, faint orange light coming from the solitary lamp post. He saw her shake her head at the damage that had been done to his face, then draped one of his arms around her shoulders.

"Let's go. We need to clean you up." They stepped around the male bodies littered on the ground, both trying to make sense of what had happened to them that had turned their normal day into something that neither of them could've predicted.


	4. Promises, Courage, and Hopes and Dreams

Earlier That Day

Jane sat in bed, 2 tissue boxes-empty-on her floor, and many full ones piled on her bed. Billy was following her out of her closet when he got a text.

"Hey, Janey?" Jane turned around, facing Billy with tired eyes and a red nose. She wore no make-up, a pair of his sweats, and a shirt that he'd left at her house and forgotten to take home. Her dark, neat curls were a chaotic mess, and secured in a bun at the nape of her neck. He realized, looking at her, he couldn't leave her. Not when she was like this. She still looks beautiful, he thought.

"Yes, Billy?" She said, wiping her nose, her voice sounding weak.

"Did you hear anything about a party at Nick's house?" She gave him a look, then shook her head.

"I've been bed ridden for the past week, remember? If he stood outside of the school in a cheerleading uniform and purple wig I wouldn't have heard about it." Billy raised an eyebrow. Jane always started talking weirdly when she was sick.

"Are you sure? Because I just got a text-" He put his phone in front of her face, sat down next to her on the bed, and watched her face. _Party at Nick's house. 7:30. Be there. _

"Do you know that number?" Jane looked up at Billy, confused.

"No, of course not. If I did, it would be saved on my phone." Jane shook her head, then turned to her phone, searching through her contact list. "Jane? What?"

"I feel like I know it. Do you know what your brother is doing? Is there anyone that would want something from you?"

"Jane, he wouldn't do anything. I'm his brother. Why would he harm his own blood?"

"Just do one thing for me. Please."

"Anything." Absolutely anything, for her.

"Don't go. Just stay here. You don't have to go see who it is. It's Saturday, I'm sick, you don't have to go anywhere."

"Okay, I won't." He settled down, opened up her covers, moved her tissue boxes, and patted the mattress beside him for her to lie down. She slid in, and burrowed against his side, finding her place there. He dropped his arm over her shoulders and covered her with her blankets. He was going to have to just ignore the text. That wouldn't be so hard.

Billy's phone buzzed in the middle of the night. He reached to take it from his pocket, careful not to jostle Jane, and opened his phone. _We'll come get you. Go to Nick's house now. Or your little girlfriend will feel the space in her bed where you used to be… permanently. _

He turned to look at Jane, her mouth hanging open, her hair a mess, her nose dripping. He wiped her nose with a tissue, closed her mouth, and kissed her forehead gently so as not to wake her. Then he got up. He promised himself he wouldn't cry, he promised himself he wouldn't let anyone hurt Jane. He promised himself he wouldn't get himself killed so that Jane would never know he'd broken a promise to her. He didn't know whether his promises would end up being in vain.

Jane followed Billy. She heard him leave the room, and she slipped on the first pair of shoes she could feel-6 inches, of course-and tugged them on quickly, grabbing her phone, and a baseball bat. She followed the Beast as quickly as she could along the sidewalk, knowing that Billy wouldn't notice her. She went to Nick's house, and watched.

**Present Day: Jane's House: Sunday Morning**

Jane sat on the couch next to Billy, cleaning his face with napkins and alcohol swabs. He tried not to make any noises to let her know how much he was hurting.

"So, what happened?" Jane asked.

"My brother." That was all the explanation Jane needed, he'd probably stolen something from the wrong people and blamed it on Billy. Again.

"They can sort that out themselves. We called the police. Gave the address. Nick probably backed us up, too. If he hadn't come out when he had, we probably never would have gotten you home." Billy knew that wasn't true. When Jane was 5 she pulled him along in her toy wagon all by herself. He knew he would've been a goner without her.

Jane was trying to keep it together. She was trying to keep her hands from shaking, to just clean up his bloody eye, to wash the blood from his lips. His eye was already turning black. They'd have to take him to get his eyes checked out, to make sure he wouldn't have trouble seeing. They'd have to make sure he didn't get a concussion. _What if he has to go back to court? _She worried. _What if they ask him to testify? _Her breathing became erratic and she couldn't control it. She went to get a dry towel, to wipe off his face, but his hands stopped her. He covered her hands with his, tried to stop her from having a panic attack. She tried to breathe evenly but she couldn't stop her eyes from filling with wet, alligator tears. She felt them dropping on her cheeks. She felt him wiping them away.

"We are going to get you to a doctor." He was about to argue but she spoke before he could open his mouth. "You are going to get checked out. Your eyes, you head. If you'll have problems with your vision, if you have a concussion. We are going to make sure that you're going to be okay."

He hesitated before he answered. "Okay." Jane took a breath.

"Okay. No go shower and get cleaned up. You know where more of your clothes are." Billy nodded.

"Okay." When he stood up, Jane stood up, too, and followed him. She went to her room, and he followed her.

"I thought I told you to go shower." She said, but then she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him as if she was holding him for the last time. He held her without letting go even crossing his mind. He couldn't imagine a life without Jane in his arms. He dropped his face into the crook of her neck, and blew hot air onto it through his mouth. Then, he murmured:

"I love you, Janey." She closed her eyes, tears falling from them still, landing like the pitter pattering of rain onto his shirt, still stained with his blood. She wished he was saying those words with the meaning that she wanted.

"I love you, too, Billy." She had no way of knowing that he was wishing the same.


	5. What We've All Been Waiting For

"Why are you yelling at me?" Jane called to Billy as she walked through her house, Ben sitting stunned on the couch. He turned his head as Jane came bursting through the room, Billy following behind her. She removed her turquoise pashmeena and tossed it on the couch angrily.

"Because I'm sick and tired of seeing you fall for guys that don't see how amazing you are, that just walk all over you and take advantage of your good nature, that don't even understand or care for you like-"

"Like what? Like WHAT?"

"LIKE ME! THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR YOU-HOW TO _LOVE YOU_-LIKE ME!" Jane stood there, Ben watching them with his mouth hanging open from the couch, still holding the remote.

"But-" She started, her summer dress blowing in the breeze from the still open door. Billy didn't let her finish; he crossed the room, he stood inches away from her and before she could pull in another breath, he kissed her.

**Yesterday**

"Please leave, Nick. I don't want to talk to you right now." Jane was trying to shoo Nick out of her house so she could escape back to her room where Billy lay sleeping.

"But shouldn't we talk about what happened with Billy the other night?"

"We got him home. I patched him up, I took him to a doctor to get checked out. Everything's fine. Those men are behind bars thanks to the security cameras. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to talk about."

Billy was already up out of bed, his ear against the door, listening. He was happy to have Jane on his side, no matter what, and still hated having Nick so close to her. As much as he disliked the feeling, he bristled with jealousy and wanted to make his presence known, when suddenly, her voice was silenced and seemed smooshed by… someone else's mouth. He retreated, and he heard Jane hit Nick, shove him out the door, close it behind him. But Billy couldn't shake the feeling that if he failed to make his presence known one more time, or another time after that, he would lose his chance all together to get Jane.

Jane came back into the room only to see a sullen Billy sitting on the bed, who looked at her with sad eyes. This continued throughout the whole day, until they sat on the couch with a passed out Ben, watching _Friends_ reruns.

"Jane?" She turned her head to him.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jane was all too happy to have him talk to her, finally, that day. He suddenly felt guilty.

"If you were really interested in someone, and you thought they didn't feel that way, too… what would you do about it?" Jane thought about it, and she realized how she should have acted when she found out she's in love with Billy.

"Tell them. For sure. Chances are, they love you anyway and you're just too blind to see it."

Billy was thinking maybe the same applied to Jane.

**Present Day**

Jane and Billy stepped out of the car, standing tall and proud despite Billy's damaged face. He wasn't really aware of it, he was too busy watching Jane in her new summer dress-he couldn't help but notice how flattering it was on her. She linked her arm through his and they walked to the entrance to the school, heads turning to look at them everywhere. Billy noticed Nick's eyes lingering on Jane, the way that he knew his were just a minute ago, and he felt his anger flaring again. After school, though… he just blew up. He spent the whole day watching Nick make passes at Jane, watching him drop pencils next to her, offer her a bit of his cookie or juice. The only thing that reassured him was her constant rejections. He was especially smug when he offered her a bite of pizza and she accepted.

However, after school, he decided to take his chance. He remembered last night, looking at Ben, thinking of how he put his heart out on his sleeve for Rita, explained how he felt and how he'd take her anytime she was ready. He never would have gotten the girl had he not laid all his cards on the table. The inspiration had come to him, that night, after he'd heard Jane's words and seen Ben's peacefully sleeping face.

"Do you still have feelings for Nick?" He asked abruptly, once they'd parked in front of her house. Her eyes widened.

"_What?_"

"Do you still like Nick, Jane." She shook her head, not being able to believe the question. The fact that she didn't answer right away troubled Billy.

"Do you seriously need to think about it?" She was taken aback by his gruff tone of voice. She couldn't understand what brought on his foul mood.

"No, I don't. I don't still have feelings for him, I don't need to think about it, and I don't need to hear you take that tone of voice with me, Billy." She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. He followed her out.

"Jane, I'm sorry, I want to tell you something but I don't know how to. I don't even know where to start." He said, jogging behind.

"Jane, please!"

"Why are you yelling at me?" Jane called to Billy as she walked through her house, Ben sitting stunned on the couch. He turned his head as Jane came bursting through the room, Billy following behind her. She removed her turquoise pashmeena and tossed it on the couch angrily.

"Because I'm sick and tired of seeing you fall for guys that don't see how amazing you are, that just walk all over you and take advantage of your good nature, that don't even understand or care for you like-"

"Like what? Like WHAT?"

"LIKE ME! THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR YOU-HOW TO _LOVE YOU_-LIKE ME!" Jane stood there, Ben watching them with his mouth hanging open from the couch, still holding the remote.

"But-" She started, her summer dress blowing in the breeze from the still open door. Billy didn't let her finish; he crossed the room, he stood inches away from her and before she could pull in another breath, he kissed her.

When they pulled away, Ben still sat there.

"Umm, okay, I think from now on, no more sleepovers." They just laughed in whispers, his hands cupping her face, and their foreheads leaning against each other, knowing that they'd never be the same. It was just what they wanted.


End file.
